File



Patentes Feb. 7, 192s.

JOHN SANFORD SMALL, 0F ELKHART, INDIANA.

Application filed December 23, 1926. Serial No. 156,589.

This invention relates to a card file of the overlappingtype, having novel means providing for oisettingthe cards laterally with relation to one another.

'Ihe invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereoffwhile its scope will hel more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a ile exemplifying the invention; A

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one card and its carrier on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is asectional view similar to Fig. 3, but withV the carrier bent, illustrating the mode of detaching the card from its carrier;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion-of one of the carriers on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 `is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the carrier on line 6 -6 of Fig. 2;'

and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of the invention which is selected for exempliicatio'n, there is shown a card file comprising a series of Overlapping cards 8, each carried by a carrier, herein comprising a bar 9 of resilient materialsuch as tempered steel, said bars being arranged edge to edge, and having their terminal portions receivedby guides 10 presented by an appropriate support, herein a panel or tray 11. Removal of the carriers from their guides is conveniently effected by bending each carrier to enable the distance between its ends to be reduced. In the present cxample, each of the guides 10 is presented by a metallic strip 12, suitably secured as by spot-welding to the panel 11. To maintain the carriers elevated above the panel, thereby to Jfacilitate their beingsprung to enable any individual carrier to be grasped :for removal, the strip 12 presents a raised bead 13 (see Fig. 2).

Each carrier presents two prongs 14, di-

rected outwardly toward the ends of the car' rier, which prongs in the present example are conveniently formed as integral parts of metallic members 15, best shown in Figs. 6 and 7 which are appropriately secured to the bar 9 by the provision of arms 16 clasped about the bar, and received in notches 17 presented by the edges of the bar. Before the member is attached t0 the bar, it has a lJ-shaped formation. Its arms are inserted in the notches in the bar, and the arms are then clinched over on the rear face of the bar, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby securely attaching the member to the bar. The prong 14 is conveniently formed by punching the member to form the tongue, which is forced in an outward direction (see Fig. 7).

Each card presents a plurality of pairs of perforations, 'herein two pairs 18, 18, and 18', (see Fig. 3), the perforations of either pair being adapted to receive the Aprongs 14, the arrangement being such that the prongs can be removed from one pair and inserted in the perforations of another pair, thereby to cause a lateral offsetting or displacement of lthe card with reference to one or more of the others. In Fig. 1, two of the cards are shown offset laterally to the right' of theq others.. This oil'setting 'can be utilized for a variety of purposes, which require no description, as the principle of offsetting is well known to those skilled in the art.

Each of the outwardly directed prongs overhes the margin of the perforation in which it is received, and accidental displace` nient .of the cards lengthwise of their carriers is thereby prevented, inasmuch as thc card can be displaced laterally only by first removing. the carrier from the panel and then springing the carrier in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4, to enable the p-rongs to be withdrawn from the perforations in which'they are received, and the file can therefore ghe moved about from place to place, without requiringk careful handling, as no amount ot jarring or handling ot' the file can cause the cards to be displaced laterally. The advantage of this is apparent, when it is considered that all of the work of' posting might otherwise be undone by accidental displacement of the cards after they have once been arranged.

Having thus described one embodiment ofthe invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In a le, the combination of a series of overlapping cards, a. support, and means connecting said cards to said support and maintaining them in overlapping relationship, said means having provision for per;

fil)

mitting said cards to beolfset laterally with relation to one another and for preventing such offsetting from taking place without .first disengaging and removing said cards from said connecting means.

2. In a file, the combination of a series 'of overlapping cards, a support, and means connecting said cards to said support and maintaining them in overlapping relationship, said means having provision for permitting said cards to be offset laterally with relation to one another and v for preventing such offsetting from taking place without first detaching said connecting means from said support. A y

3. In a. file, the combination of a series of overlapping cards each presenting a plu-l rality of pairs of perforations, a sup-port presenting guides, and a'series of parallel bars arranged edge to edge and having their vterminal portions received by said guides,

each bar presentmg a pali' of pro]ect1ons whose free ends are directed outwardly toward the ends of said bar. said projections being respectively received in the perforations of one pair, and being adapted to be received in the 4perforations of the other pair,

each bar being flexible toenable. the diss -a supporting bar, and two metallic prongs rigidly secured to said bar and received in said perforations, respectively, said prongs extending in opposite directions lengthwise of said bar.

5. A filing element comprising, in combination, a card presenting two perforations, a supporting bar, and two metallic members clasped about the body of said bar and presenting` prongs received in said perforations, respectively, said prongs extending in oppositedirections lengthwise of said bar.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication,

' JOHN SANFORDSMALL. 

